In a press statement signed by its Chairman, Benson Ehuwa, the association said it was “shocked and deeply displeased” by what it described as the minister’s resort to “strong-arm tactics, intimidation and arm-twisting” rather than addressing the contractors’ demands for payment.
The Association of Indigenous Contractors of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has accused the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, of deploying heavily armed security operatives to intimidate and suppress its members protesting over alleged unpaid contract debts amounting to more than N5.2 billion.
In a press statement signed by its Chairman, Benson Ehuwa, the association said it was “shocked and deeply displeased” by what it described as the minister’s resort to “strong-arm tactics, intimidation and arm-twisting” rather than addressing the contractors’ demands for payment.
According to the association, its leadership arrived at the FCTA office complex as early as 7am on Wednesday for a meeting allegedly scheduled by the minister’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), Mohammed Iya.
Instead of a meeting, they were allegedly met with several Hilux vehicles loaded with “heavily armed security personnel” who blocked the main entrance to the complex.
The association claimed the operatives barred its leaders from entering the premises, citing “orders from above”.
“When our leaders called the CSO, he claimed the minister had sent him on an errand to Port Harcourt,” the statement said.
Members of the association have reportedly been protesting at the FCTA gate since Tuesday, December 9, over the non-payment of contracts they said were lawfully awarded, executed, inspected and certified as completed by Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs) of the FCTA.
The group alleged that the security deployment was part of a plan to halt its peaceful protest after the CSO had earlier approached the association for talks, promising engagement with the FCTA if protesters would suspend their action.
Acting on what it described as an “olive branch”, the association said it was asked to nominate five representatives for a meeting and was given several meeting times, with the final one fixed for 7am on Wednesday.
“At exactly 7am, our leaders converged at the FCTA main gate but were shocked to behold armed security operatives halting our leaders from entering and physically preventing our members from protesting,” the statement said.
The contractors further alleged that several of their members were threatened, shoved, verbally abused and intimidated by security personnel, adding that “a bloodbath was only prevented when reason prevailed”.
They cited Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees Nigerians the right to peaceful assembly, insisting that their protest was lawful.
The association said its efforts to recover the unpaid funds over the past two years had yielded no result, despite writing multiple letters to the minister, securing the intervention of the National Assembly through a public hearing which the FCTA allegedly failed to attend, and a three-month investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS).
It also claimed that an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, personal interventions by “powerful Nigerians” and several protests had failed to secure payment.
According to the group, many of its members borrowed from banks to execute the contracts and have since lost their homes, withdrawn their children from school, or been evicted from rented apartments due to unpaid debts. The association further claimed that at least 10 of its members had died from high blood pressure linked to the financial hardship.
“Most of our members are living in penury simply for helping to transform the infrastructure of the nation’s capital,” the statement said, adding that FCTA officials continue to benefit from facilities provided under the disputed contracts.
The association called on Nigerians, religious leaders across faiths and civil society groups to condemn what it described as injustice by the FCT minister.
“A labourer deserves his wages,” the group said, questioning whether the minister was “fighting God Almighty’s injunction”.
“This is our injury today. Tomorrow, it could be anyone else’s,” the statement added.